The Native American Children & Youth Task Force

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the formation of an internal task force that will focus on the difficulties faced by many Native American youth. The Native American Children & Youth Task Force will review how various local, State, and Federal efforts can be improved to better address the risks faced by young Native Americans. Some of these risk factors include:

The highest death and school dropout rates of any ethnic group in the country

High rates of child neglect, alcohol and drug abuse, and malnutrition

High rates of parental unemployment, often combined with poverty and lack of access to health care

The new task force will be chaired by Channell Wilkins, former director of the Office of Head Start. In an ACF press release, Chairman Wilkins said, "I look forward to addressing these challenging issues affecting our youth. This new task force will aid us in finding solutions that will remediate these alarming trends."

Links

Articles in Children's Bureau Express are presented for informational purposes only; their inclusion does not represent an endorsement by the Children's Bureau or Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Children's Bureau Express does not disclose, give, sell, or transfer any personal information, including email addresses, unless required for law enforcement by statute. Contact us at cb_express@childwelfare.gov.